The Quantum of the Seas is the newest cruise ship in Royal Caribbean International’s fleet. It is the first ship to enter service in the “Quantum class,” which will consist of three ships in total. (Anthem of the Seas and Ovation of the Seas will join the Quantum of the Seas in Spring 2015 and Fall 2016, respectively.) The ship has only been in operation for a few months, but it has already garnered a lot of attention, in part because it is huge, flashy new ship from one of the largest cruise lines in the world, and in part because the vessel aims to be the most energy-efficient cruise ship sailing today. Below we have compiled a concise guide to the Quantum of the Seas, which covers not only some of the ship’s features, but also its eco-friendly innovations. We also link to some of the best resources online for information about the Quantum of the Seas.
Although Quantum of the Seas has some new and interesting attractions, it is the environmentally conscious design of the ship that sets it apart. Indeed, Quantum of the Seas may set a new standard for the cruise industry, which isn’t exactly known as a force for good in conservationist circles. Considering that cruise ships produce three times as much carbon as airplanes per mile traveled, fuel efficiency was the principle concern driving Quantum of the Seas’ design. Apart from being powered by two diesel electric engines, the Quantum of the Seas employs jets below the waterline to pump out bubbles. These bubbles essentially coat the bottom of the ship, allowing it to glide through the water with greater efficiency. The jets are covered so that fish can’t be sucked into the ship and then introduced as an invasive species into a foreign port’s ecosystem.
Increasing fuel efficiency is perhaps the ship’s most environmentally impactful design element, but there are many other features. For example, the waste from the ship’s 18 restaurants and bars all goes to a central recycling center, and any non-recyclable materials are burned into an ash that is stored and can later be used to surface roads. To decrease the amount of water stored on board, the ship also has a desalinization system to convert sea water into drinking water. A good overview of the ship’s environmental features, including ones we have not mentioned, can be found in The Atlantic.
No matter how environmentally friendly a ship may be, it still needs to draw in passengers, and for this the Quantum of the Seas is decked out with a wide variety of attractions. Some of these are fairly standard – like the ship’s climbing walls and basketball court – but others are unique to Quantum. The ship has a skydiving simulator on board, the first on any cruise ship, and the vessel also has a glass capsule attached to a crane-like apparatus called the North Star. People stand in the capsule as the crane maneuvers them 300 feet above sea level. Like any cruise ship that holds over 4,000 passengers, the Quantum of the Seas has many other features, but these are some of the highlights.
Royal Caribbean has put together a pretty cool interactive, multimedia feature for the Quantum of the Seas, and this is worth checking out if you want to learn more about the ship. If you are interested in booking a cruise with the Quantum of the Seas, you can visit this page on the Royal Caribbean website.
